Indianapolis Final Four's $400M Economic Impact and What's at Stake

Indianapolis is hosting the NCAA Men's Final Four for a record-tying ninth time, and the economic stakes are enormous. Visit Indy estimates $400 million in economic impact from the event, more than the six largest Indianapolis conventions combined generated in a single year. Chris Gahl, executive vice president at Visit Indy, explains how the city is targeting fan bases in Chicago, Detroit, and Champaign to drive tourism beyond ticket holders, and how a 60-to-70 percent convention close rate during major sporting events makes the Final Four one of the city's most powerful sales tools. For the first time, Indianapolis is also hosting national championship games across every NCAA division and the NIT simultaneously. Also covered: Eli Lilly receives FDA approval for a new oral weight loss drug; SpectronRx secures $85 million in new investment to expand its radiopharmaceutical campus near Grissom Air Reserve Base; Purdue University rolls out a mobile audiology van to combat hearing loss among Indiana farmers; a $65 billion industrial campus is proposed for Sullivan in west-central Indiana; Mishawaka-based Butcher's Bounty expands its freeze-dried pet treat business to 40 states; and Sport Graphics, the Indianapolis company behind the iconic JW Marriott bracket display, celebrates 40 years in business. Purdue head coach Matt Painter also weighs in on NIL and the changing college basketball landscape.